It’s time now to learn proper piano scales practice techniques for all those cool new piano scales you’ve been studying. When you begin practicing, your thumbs should never hang off the keyboard. Think of your fingers as numbers with your thumb being #1 and your pinky #5. Now, using the C major scale as an example this is how I want you to do your scale practice using your right hand.
As you can see, you will begin with your thumb (right hand) and end up on C octave with your pinky. This is accomplished by “hooking” your thumb under your middle finger (3) when the “E” tone (note) is played. This puts your thumb on the “F” tone and makes it easy to finish the scale. This is ascending, going from low to high.
When descending, going back down from high to low, you will go 5,4,3,2,1 and then “hook” over the top of your thumb with your middle finger (3) placing it on the “E” note and finishing the descending scale with your thumb (1) on C (your beginning tone). Practice this until you can make a smooth transition with this “hooking” motion. This procedure works on all 12 keys, major and minor scales. Practice until you can do this with every one of the 12 tones (notes).
Now for the left hand. Again, using the same finger number system with your pinky as #5 and your thumb as #1, and using the C major piano scale as an example this is your piano scales practice technique for the left hand.
Using your left hand you will begin with your pinky and end up on C octave with your thumb. This is accomplished by “hooking” your middle finger (3) over your thumb (1) when the “G” tone (note) is played. This puts your middle finger (3) on the “A” tone and makes it easy to finish the scale. This is ascending, going from low to high.
When descending, going back down from high to low, you will go 1,2,3 and then “hook” under your middle finger (3) with your thumb (1) placing it on the “G” tone (note) and finishing the descending scale with your pinky (5) on C (your beginning tone). Practice this until you can make a smooth transition with this “hooking” motion. This procedure works on all 12 keys and with both the major and minor piano scales we have covered. Scale practice until you can do this with every one of the 12 tones (notes), major and minor piano scales.
Major Scales – Rules for constructing major scales on the piano.
Natural Minor Scales – Rules for constructing natural minor scales on the piano.
Harmonic Minor Scales – Rules for constructing harmonic minor scales on the piano
Melodic Minor Scales – Rules for constructing melodic minor scales on the piano